Bead Spotlight: Twins and Tilas

In their own way, two hole beads have been taking the beadweaving world by storm. First we saw the release of the much-anticipated Tilas by Miyuki - tile shaped seed beads with parallel holes. Although they aren’t as versatile as other shaped seed beads, projects using these tiny tiles have been cropping up everywhere. The double hole makes them a little tricky to incorporate into existing designs and stitches, but they are perfect for constructing unique beadwork that lends itself to the unique shape of the beads.

Left to Right:

Matte Grey-Blue Rainbow Tilas from Artbeads.com,
Matte Dark Orange Rainbow Tilas from Fusion Beads,
Opaque Canary Tilas from Auntie’s Beads

Matte Opaque Turquoise Tilas from Beadaholique,
Opaque Satin Matte Brown Tilas from Fire Mountain Gems,
Antique Rose Luster Tilas from Bobbi’s This n That on Etsy

Here are just a few examples of the fantastic tutorials available for Tilas:

Tila Wheels Tutorial for Bib Necklaces by Whimbeads
Tila Cuff Video Tutorial by Beadaholique
Karla Kam Simple Woven Tila Bracelet Tutorial by Auntie's Beads
Sky’s the Limit Necklace Project by Artbeads.com
Sunrise Bracelet Project by Fusion Beads
Tribeca Tila Cuff Project by Beadaholique

Naturally, competitors wanted to get in on the action, and Czech bead makers responded with not one, but two styles of double-hole beads. Both the Twin and Czech Mate beads are much curvier than Tilas. The tiny twin beads are like a hybrid of Tilas and Peanuts, and warm up to traditional seed beads with ease. The Czech Mate is more akin to pressed glass beads, and can work double duty as seed beads or accents.

Light-Green Crystal Two-Hole Beads from Artbeads.com,
Opaque Beige Picasso Czech Mate Beads from Dream Jewelry Supplies on Etsy,
Celsian Siam Ruby Czech Mates from Lima Beads,

Jet Dark Teal Pearl Twin Beads from Beadaholique,
Matte Color Mixed Lumi Twin Beads from Beads and Babble on ArtFire,
Bright Opaque Red Twin Beads from Yashma Creations on Etsy

And a few fun Twin Bead Projects:

Twin Beaded Bead Stretch Bracelet by Beadaholique
Spiral Twin Bead Bracelet by Julia Gerlach and Bead & Button
Twin Bead Rivoli Bezel Tutorial by Sashi Si
Circular Stitch Twin Bead Bracelet Video by Beadaholique

Do you have a favorite two-hole bead style?

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